Overview
- Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Ryan O’Reilly and Roman Josi remained with Nashville through the March 6 trade deadline.
- Trotz said he received a lot of calls on Stamkos and turned down “really good offers” for Stamkos, O’Reilly and Erik Haula, with Stamkos’ no-move clause also limiting options.
- The Predators moved Michael McCarron to the Wild for a 2028 second-round pick, dealt Cole Smith to the Golden Knights for a 2028 third-rounder and Christoffer Sedoff, sent Nick Blankenburg to the Avalanche for a 2027 fifth, and traded Michael Bunting to the Stars for a 2026 third.
- Defending the approach, Trotz said the plan was “in pen” and the path “in pencil” and argued the team got good value, while noting he will retire after the season but remain GM until a successor is named.
- Columnists judged the returns light for a team on the playoff bubble, singling out Blankenburg-for-a-fifth as poor value, even as Nashville filled gaps with AHL call-ups and posted a 6-3 win over Boston.